Seriously, what? In that scenario whether it shoots it down or not, you're in an ongoing terrorist attack involving massive casualties and risk of being killed by debris. And you think that's reassuring? When a guy is running toward you holding a suspicious package, its much more worrying to see a cop pointing a gun at him.

I should add Chuck Schumer also dismissed the funding as a "little porky thing," primarily because he wanted Congress to drop these small but important projects to fund more politically popular ones. So even though Republicans were championing politics over policy, they're hardly alone.

The "new", "exotic", and "scary" factors makes these deaths more newsworthy, just like shooting sprees and killer bees get more coverage than handgun accidents and diseases borne by mosquito. But there are many more casualties yet to be caused by the disease, as well as trade and transportation costs as a result of trying to contain it.

Normally it'd get little attention due to the fact its primarily fatal to the poor and underdeveloped countries. Thankfully cable news networks will soon have the middle class afraid to touch pork and let their kids near anyone with sniffles.

In her defense, she claims its about it being in the wrong bill, and she would have supported more funding in a separate bill. Much more. In fact, she wanted more than anything to fund the shit out of it. Susan Collins has always been in favor of spending half our GDP on swine flu vaccines.

Against her defense, the Republicans allocated these funds in general appropriations all the same, and she herself requested plenty of ancillary funding in the stimulus.

And most importantly the pandemic preparedness was grouped in with "volcano monitoring", "levitating trains" and "Mormon cricket control" as issues the Republicans attacked, not based on their actual value, but based on their value as sound-bites to stir up uneducated people. So yeah, suck it Collins.

Why do the people of New York, Richmond, and Washington DC, keep forgetting about 9/11?

Its up to good people of Ohio, Oklahoma and West Virginia to remind those godless fags of how it felt to watch their loved ones die. Give you a hint: it involved a lot of country music, commemorative plates, and promises to kick Muslim ass.

Not surprised he didn't hear the warning. That was one hell of a barn-burner.

I'm not only incredulous that the gross inequities and failings of our educational system aren't given priority over affirmative action, I'm appalled its not given priority over absolutely every other issue in our country.